DISCIPLE

Having spoken of the spiritual inheritance which was his and ours, he then declared his indifference to material possessions (Eph. 6:32-33). "I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel". When a man is satisfied with what he has in Christ, the comforts and luxuries and extravagancies of this world lose their charm. The antidote to covetousness and the stimulus to contentment is this; "he hat said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Heb. 13:5). Apparently, the sentiments of this hymn are based on reality; In the heart of London city, 'Mid the dwellings of the poor, These bright golden words were uttered, I have Christ! What want I more? Spoken by a lonely woman, Dying on a garret floor, Having not one earthly comfort: I have Christ! What want I more! Silver and gold and apparel were what ensnared Achan; coveting them cost him his life (Josh. 7:21). Perhaps Gehazi thought that he was being reasonable when he request...

    Covetousness denies the real purpose of our existence. it forgets that we are here for bigger business than to make money or to indulge ourselves. It forgets that the best use of our money is for spiritual purposes. It is deceptive. Said J. H. Jowett,      Riches can make a man think that he is growing bigger when all the time he is growing less. He estimates his size by the inlet of income and not by the outlet of beneficence. While the inlet is expanding, the outlet is contracting.      It is irrational. We strive to get things we don't need to impress people we don't like.     It frustrates God's plan for world evangelization by hoarding money that could be used in the propagation of the gospel.      It unfits a man for leadership in the church - and elder must be "not greedy for money" (1 Tim. 3:3) -- but, worse than that, it excludes a man from the kingdom of God (1 Cor. ...